Creasy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The name Creasy was carried to England in the enormous movement of people that followed the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Creasy family lived in Northumberland. The family originally lived in Crecy (Cressy), Normandy. The name was "from the Lordship so named, near Dieppe and Rouen. Hugh de Cressy, and Simon, occur in Normandy 1180-1195. Anselm and Gilbert de Cressy c. 1119 held lands from the Earls of Warrenne in England." 1 The same source continues with another possible origin. "Hugh de Cresseio was of Huntingdonshire, 1130. He was son of Guy le Roux, Lord of Creci in La Brie, Senschal of France." 1

Early Origins of the Creasy family

The surname Creasy was first found in Norfolk at Beeston Regis, a parish, in the union of Erpingham, hundred of North Erpingham. "Here are some remains, consisting chiefly of the west end of the church, with a small tower, and part of the chapter-house, of a priory of Augustine canons, founded in the reign of John by Lady Isabel de Cressey, and the revenue of which, at the Dissolution, was £50. 6. 4." 2 Hugh de Cressy (died 1189) was an Anglo-Norman administrator and nobleman. Unfortunately little more is known of both people.

The Battle of Crécy (Cressy) was fought on 26 August 1346 near Créy, in northern France. This important English victory over the much larger French army led by Philip VI of France was due to tactical flexibility learned from battles with the Vikings, Muslims and the Scots.

Early History of the Creasy family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Creasy research. Another 125 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1390, 1450, 1605, 1646 and 1674 are included under the topic Early Creasy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Creasy Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Creasey, Cressy, Crecy, Cressi, Crease, Cresey and others.

Early Notables of the Creasy family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Hugh Cressy, English politician, Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire in 1390. Robert Cressy (fl. 1450?), was a Carmelite, a student at Oxford, where he distinguished himself as a theologian. Hugh Paulinus Cressy...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Creasy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Creasy Ranking

In the United States, the name Creasy is the 9,250^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Creasy migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Creasy or a variant listed above:

Creasy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Mrs. G. Creasy, aged 31, originally from Cheleusford, England, who arrived in New York in 1896 aboard the ship "Teutonic" from Liverpool and Queenstown 4

Creasy Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Burrand Frank Creasy, aged 16, originally from Bedfordshire, England, who arrived in New York in 1907 aboard the ship "Minnetonka" from London, England 4
Cecil Creasy, aged 53, originally from Portsmouth, England, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Mauretania" from Southampton, England 4
Bessie Creasy, aged 42, originally from Portsmouth, England, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Mauretania" from Southampton, England 4
Marie Creasy, aged 56, originally from Boulogne, France, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "France" from Le Havre, France 4

Creasy migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Creasy Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Creasy, aged 13, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Collingwood" in 1875
George Creasy, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Wairoa" in 1880

Contemporary Notables of the name Creasy (post 1700) +

Kenneth Burton Creasy (1932-1992), American politician, Member of the Ohio House of Representatives (1958-1972)
William L. Creasy, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Virginia 5th District, 1946 5
Sir Edward Shepherd Creasy (1812-1878), English jurist and historian, best known for his work Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World (1851) 6
Sara Creasy, Australian author, known for her novel Song of Scarabaeus (2010)
Sir Gerald Hallen Creasy KCMG, OBE (1897-1983), British colonial administrator, Governor of the Gold Coast and Malta
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Elvey Creasy GCB, CBE, DSO, MVO (1895-1972), British Royal Navy officer, Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth
Stella Judith Creasy (b. 1977), British Labour Co-operative politician, Member of Parliament for Walthamstow (2010-)

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020